Anvil: The Story of Anvil DVDReview

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Meet the real-life Spinal Tap.

By Cindy White

Imagine failing at something for nearly three decades and still believing that success is right around the corner. Imagine all your colleagues and friends – less talented and last out the gate – rocketing past you toward stardom while life keeps moving back the finish line. Yet through all of it, despite everything, you still aim to win the race you've spent 30 years running. Is that hope, or madness; lunatic determination or just sheer lunacy? At what point does passion become pathology?

Anvil: The Story of Anvil is a supremely entertaining, incredibly moving documentary about a rather unlikely subject – an unknown, 30-year old, heavy metal band by the name of Anvil. Were you a metal-head somewhere in the late 1970's, you might recall the name, but the meteoric rise of bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer – all of whom count Anvil amongst their greatest influences – cast a shadow over this little-known band from Canada, despite their having virtually pioneered the rising musical genre. Sascha Gervasi's documentary opens at just that time, in the midst of a sold-out stadium show, with Anvil's lead singer Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Rob Reiner rocking the stage with their anthem "Metal on Metal," and then, in a single, heartbreaking leap, jumps ahead to the present day, finding these same two men in the midst of a tragically ordinary life.

But to say that Anvil is about heavy metal would be massively misleading. In fact, the music becomes quickly irrelevant, a mere backdrop to the deeply relatable struggles of two life-long friends unwilling to let go of an equally life-long dream. And where Anvil succeeds is in the nature of its protagonists, intensely likeable from the start. Soft-spoken and gentle, both Reiner and Lips defy expectation with their affability and perseverance. Rarely in a documentary will you find yourself rooting so intently for its subjects, emotionally connected from nearly the opening scene, celebrating their successes (though they be few) and mourning their defeats (though they be many).

This down-to-earth documentary wasn't shot with high-tech cameras, and includes a lot of old concert footage and archival material, so there's nothing fancy or particularly attractive about the video here (and it does have a distinct video look to it). The world of Anvil is life-sized, and often grounded in a dull reality. It's very clean and natural, though. The shaky camera doesn't seem to prove a problem for this disc, and there were very few technical flaws.

Score: 6 out of 10

Languages and Audio

As this is a rock documentary, sound is of the utmost importance. Here we get a straightforward Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The most appealing aspect of the audio are the resonant voiceovers. The sit-down interviews are crisp and resonant, though the off-the-cuff conversations captured in the moment can be hard to hear sometimes, especially in the dark nightclubs and backstage at the concert venues. In contrast to the loud, raucous sound of the band themselves, the film is scored with subdued, sustained and thoughtful strains. Both sound appropriately engaging. There's not much directionality in the design, but there aren't any technical problems to speak of.

Score: 7 out of 10

Extras and Packaging

This single-disc release comes in a translucent plastic case with cover art matching the film's promotional poster. The extras include:

Deleted Scenes

Audio Commentary

Interview with Lars Ulrich

"School Love" in Japan with Sacha

The audio commentary – featuring director Sacha Gervasi, Lips and Robb – not only adds a layer of self awareness as they talk about what really went on behind the scenes of the documentary, it also gives the audience a chance to hear what happened to the guys as a result of the film. It seems as though the documentary may have finally given the band the success they've been seeking all these years (they've even recorded a track for Rock Band). If you enjoyed the documentary, this is a must-listen commentary.

There are three deleted scenes here, and all have the same sense of pathos that runs through the main feature. There's an extended look at Steve's catering job, with more interviews from him and his co-workers. Following that are interviews with two of the band's former members. Lastly, we meet Steve's older brother, who is afflicted with a neurodegenerative disease. It doesn't have much to do with the band (probably the reason it was cut out), but does give us another look at the ancillary trials and tribulations in the lives of the struggling artist.

Ulrich sits down for a half-hour interview (he originally promised the producers just five minutes) about the history of heavy metal and Anvil's place within that history. Some of the material can be seen in the film, but there's a lot more here.

"School Love" features a moment from a concert in Japan where Gervasi is invited to come on stage and play drums along with the band. If it wasn't already evident from the film itself, this clip further shows that the director indeed has a great passion for his subject.

Score: 6 out of 10

The Bottom Line

This compelling documentary gets a decent DVD release with a handful of special features that shed even more light on the band' ongoing search for stardom.